New year observed in a variety of ways by the faithful

Welcoming a new year isn't always done by way of a party. For many people of faith, it's celebrated in a variety of ways and traditions that stretch back across the centuries.

Charita Goshay CantonRep.com staff writer @cgoshayREP

Welcoming a new year isn't always done by way of a party. For many people of faith, it's celebrated in a variety of ways and traditions that stretch back across the centuries.

• Watch Night: Some black Protestants hold special church services on New Year's Eve, an event known as "Watch Night."

Watch Night originates from President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, which freed black slaves in Confederate states that refused to surrender.

Because the order was set to take effect Jan. 1, 1863, free blacks and abolitionists across the country gathered in churches on the night of Dec. 31, 1862, to wait — and pray.

• The Epiphany of the Lord: This celebration, which takes place on Jan. 6, commemorates the arrival of the Magi to Bethlehem to see the infant Jesus.

This contrasts with the popular image of the three men being present immediately upon Jesus' birth.

There's no historical evidence to determine if and when the Magi arrived; however, Epiphany is based in part on the second chapter of Matthew's gospel, which describes the contingent arriving at a "house" to see the "young child."

In some sects, Epiphany also is known as "Twelfth Night," which also marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas.

• Removal of the Greens: Churches that put up Christmas decorations designate a Sunday — usually after Epiphany — to remove them.

• Mochitsuki: The ancient Japanese tradition of "pounding" rice cakes has been adapted by Japanese-American Christians. Making rice cakes, or mochi, is an old New Year's tradition, in which they are made and taken to a shrine for good luck. The process includes pounding the rice in large vats with mallets and reforming it into balls. Today, church members sell them or eat them on New Year's Day.

• Most Catholic churches have New Year's Masses to celebrate the Feast of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, during which parishioners are urged to renew their baptismal promises or commemorate the day of their baptisms. This is followed by the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was designated as Jan. 3 by Pope John Paul II, which commemorates the shedding of Christ's blood for the world's redemption.

• The Baha'i welcome the new year, or "Naw Ruz," on March 21, based on a nine-month calendar. Gifts are exchanged on the Baha'i new year. Also, people wear new outfits and eat such holiday dishes as Restesh Polo (rice green herbs and fish) and Dolme Barg (meat and vegetables). The dining table is decorated with colored eggs, a holy book, a mirror and a cakes.

• Sikhs celebrate the new year, or the Baisakhi Festival, in mid-April. The holiday also marks harvest time for Punjabi farmers, and honors the 10th Guru Gobind Singh, who eliminated caste differences.

• Because it's so culturally diverse, Hinduism celebrates New Year nearly every month.

• The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, is celebrated in September. A joyous event, it marks the start of the Ten Days of Awe, which ends with the Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.

• Some Muslim scholars and leaders discourage lay persons from celebrating the New Year on Jan. 1 because Islam also operates on a lunar calendar, meaning that the Muslim New Year, starts in the month of Muharram, or on Oct. 25, 2014, commemorating the Prophet Mohammed's journey from Mecca to Medina. It's also discouraged be because the celebration often fosters behavior such as drinking and immodesty, which violate the tenets of the faith. Muslims instead, are encouraged to observe a new year by offering prayer and charitable works for the world's suffering people.

It's further argued by some Muslims that New Year's celebrations have roots in pagan practices and in Christianity, and because the secular calendar currently in use was developed by Pope Gregory.